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  Visual spill indicatorUSPTO Application #: 20080108142Title: Visual spill indicator Abstract: Composition which includes a dye (101) that changes color when contacted with a suitable amount of an organic substance, in conjunction with a matrix (103), past (102), support (104) or web (104), that indicates visually or photometrically the presence of the organic substance. (end of abstract) Agent: Christopoher John Rudy - Port Huron, MI, US Inventors: Richard H. Hall, Andrew J. Stephenson USPTO Applicaton #: 20080108142 - Class: 436 30 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080108142. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001]This claims priority of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/212,970 filed on Jun. 21, 2000. In the U.S.A., benefit of the same is claimed under Section 119(e) of Title 35, U.S. Code. FIELD [0002]The present invention concerns a composition for indicating visually or photometrically a presence of a contaminant compound or composition, particularly of an organic nature, a device in conjunction with the composition for determining the presence of the contaminant, and a method of use of the composition and/or device. The invention is useful in contaminant detection. BACKGROUND [0003]There exist many sorption type materials used as wipes, pick up devices for organic spills such as' imbibing polymer bead filled booms, discs and pillows, and so forth, which are used on land and water and underwater installations as well as in portable units in transport including safe shipping containers, on board boats, planes, cars, trucks, and so forth. Many hazardous materials are used which have inhalation, ingestion, and/or body surface contact properties detrimental to people and their safety as well as desirable animal and plant life, and the environment in general, and many of these are organic in nature. [0004]It is unfortunate, however, that, aside from self-indicating materials such as, for example, darkly colored crude oil and dyed fuels, a relatively unmistakable and easy to identify visual indication is unavailable to help one ascertain as to whether or not an organic contaminant may be undesirably present. What is lacking and needed, therefore, is a simple, easy to identify visual type indication that a spill or other release of a contaminating organic substance has taken place or overwhelmed a protective sorbent barrier that has been used as a preventive or prophylactic material or device for containing the contaminant. SUMMARY [0005]The present invention, in addressing the problems, lacks and needs in the art, provides a composition for indicating visually or photometrically a presence of an organic contaminant compound or composition, said composition comprising a dye, which changes color when contacted with a suitable amount of the organic contaminant, in conjunction with a matrix, paste, support or web. It further provides a device for ascertaining a presence of an organic contaminant comprising a bay in which the aforesaid composition can be located, and a light-transmissive pathway in communication with the bay and a detection site external the bay. It further provides a method for determining a presence of an organic contaminant comprising providing the aforesaid composition to a locus where detection of an organic contaminant is desirable, the composition being provided in an amount effective for indication of the presence of the organic contaminant by change of color of the composition when the composition comes into contact with a suitable amount of the organic contaminant; and checking the composition about the locus to determine if its color has changed. [0006]The invention is useful in contaminant detection. [0007]Significantly, by the invention, the presence or absence of organic contaminants can be checked readily through a readily discernible change of color and light transmission to a detector such as the naked eye or a spectral instrument, which need not be sophisticated, at or near the monitored location itself, with, in the case of the spectral instrument, there being the ability to transmit this information electronically or by other means such as a sonic or visual alarm to a location remote from the monitored location. Avoided is the need to move suspect materials to a laboratory for analysis. Such color change detection can allow for increased personnel safety by alerting the operator or monitor to a hazard from a distance without picking up the suspect material or closely approaching it to smell it. The composition is cost effective, and even a relatively unskilled operator can adequately determine the presence of the organic contaminants under visual conditions. The invention is particularly beneficial when used in conjunction with organic spill absorbing materials, for example, Imbiber Beads (.TM.) product available from Imbibitive Technologies, Inc., provided in blankets, booms, discs, pillows, and so forth. [0008]Numerous further advantages attend the invention. DRAWINGS [0009]The drawings form part of the present specification. With respect to the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, the following is briefly noted: [0010]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a device of the invention installed at an illustrative site, a gasoline station, where monitoring for organic contaminants, to include gasoline, is desired. [0011]FIG. 2 is a plan view of a photodetector monitoring device of the invention. [0012]FIG. 3 is a plan view of a visual detector monitoring device of the invention. [0013]FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an indicator-containing construction of the invention. ILLUSTRATIVE DETAIL [0014]The invention can be further understood by the present detail, which may be read in view of the drawings. The same should be taken in an illustrative and not necessarily limiting sense. [0015]In general, the indicator is a type of compound or combination of compounds such as, for instance, two compounds that work in tandem as an indicator, which turn color when contacted with a suitable amount of the contaminant. Herein, a color change can include change in emitted or reflected wavelength of any portion of the spectrum, to include X-ray, UV, visible, IR, and so forth parts of the spectrum; from a colorless state to a colored state and vice versa; a change in intensity of a color; and so forth. More specifically, the indicator may be advantageously selected from the class of anthracene, azo, anthraquinone, pyrazolone, or quinone, and so forth and the like type dyes. Beneficially, the indicator is hydrophobic and organo- or oleophilic, i.e., substantially if not essentially water insoluble but soluble in the organic contaminant of interest, for example, in gasoline or oil. Accordingly, the indicator can be a typical red, yellow or blue and/or black dye such as, for example, one or more of the following compounds: [0016]Typical red dyes (oil-soluble, water-insoluble): [0017]Oil Red "A" (Solvent Red 24), i.e., 1-[[2-methyl-4-(2-methylphenyl)-azophenyl]azo]-2-naphthalenol (CAS #85-83-6): [0018]Also, diazo and monoazo quin(n)aphthalone type compounds. [0019]Typical yellow dyes: [0020]p-Dimethylaminoazobenzene: Continue reading... Full patent description for Visual spill indicator Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Visual spill indicator patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Visual spill indicator or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Diaminorhodamine derivative Next Patent Application: Selection of particles in laminar flow Industry Class: Chemistry: analytical and immunological testing ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Visual spill indicator patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.09883 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Software: Finance , AI , Databases , Development , Document , Navigation , Error |
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